DNA'ing a winged bowl

[Jerry Ingraham]

So, I got Bill G's new dvd and immediately tried a square, winged bowl. While turning, I discovered that my block wasn't as dry as I thought but I was too far to turn back. I went ahead and finish turned it, sanded and applied some Watco. Just as I suspected it would, the flange (wings) warped across the grain. It's about 9" across and the bow is about an 1/8". Barely noticeable to most folks, glaringly obvious to me! I sanded the foot on a flat surface so it sets flat w/o rocking and looks good on the fireplace mantel.
On to my question, is there any reason that I can't rough turn a winged bowl and dna soak it like any other bowl? If I'm aiming for a finished thickness of say 3/8" for the wings, what thickness so I stop at for presoaking? 3/4"? I've got another piece from the same stock to try, so it'll be a good comparison for study. Any thoughts?
Jerry

[Paul Engle]

I'll bite , whats DNA ? why are ya soaking in DNA, I am new to wood turning and have only turned a couple of Silver Maple branches from tree in my front yard ( power line trim by power company) and of course they cracked . Have painted the ends and now not sure what to do or how long to wait to turn the rest , need to start by Nov for Christmas gifts etc at work and play.....:confused:

[Don Baer]

Jerry
I haven't done amy DNA drying yet but in theroy it should worm the same on a winged bowl as it would on a round bowl.

Pual,'
DNA is refering to De-natuered Alcahol which many use to speed the drying of green wood.

[Gary DeWitt]

No reason at all not to turn rough and then dry awhile, DNA, boil, whatever, before you finish turn. Long as you still have a good way to grip it. Weigh the bowl a couple days after soaking it, and then every few days until the weight remains the same, should be stable then.

[Charlie Plesums]

I'll bite , whats DNA ? why are ya soaking in DNA, I am new to wood turning and have only turned a couple of Silver Maple branches from tree in my front yard ( power line trim by power company) and of course they cracked . Have painted the ends and now not sure ...
Start by chucking the bowl very loosely then taking a deep cut. When it flies off and hits you, catch the blood, which is rich in DNA. Soak the bowl in the DNA.... sorry, I couldn't resist.

As others have said, DNA is Denatured Alcohol. Green wood is great to turn, but shrinks like crazy when it dries, and if it dries unevenly, cracks like crazy. So there are a number of tricks that will get you home free, depending on which church you go to. One church requires soaking in denatured alcohol until the alcohol replaces the water in the wood, then the alcohol dries faster than the water would have dried (and hopefully dries more evenly). Another church says use dish soap instead of alcohol. Another church says boil the bowl in water ... a formal ritual of time and temperature, that you better get right. Another church is the microwave church. Then the old fundamentalists say cut your bowl to (round numbers) 1 inch thick, and let it dry for a year per inch of thickness... in a paper bag to make sure it dries evenly. All of the options will get you to heaven if you are a true believe and follow the ritual precisely.

If you were thinking of Christmas presents for 2006, you better hurry, and make small (thin) bowls that will dry quickly, or quickly become expert in one of the accelerated rituals.

Since I mainly do flat work (sorry), this drying ritual has driven me to do most of my bowls from scraps from the flat world. (yes, that borders on heresy on this forum)

[Paul Engle]

THANKS CHARLIE,
I have enuf dried to get thru Christmas, I will give the DNA a try when i trim up the silver maple in my front yard soon as the snow flies.:D